Summer is all About the Patio!

Summertime is patio season, and it's such a great time to gather tasty things from far and wide and settle into a sunny backyard with your friends and family.

One of the greatest perks about owning a gourmet food shop is that there is never a shortage of good things to eat. And one of the worst things about owning a gourmet food shop is that there is never a shortage of good things to eat.

Ankia and I usually have some sort of gathering every weekend, and it typically involves a gluttonous spread of all the delicious items we stock. Mostly our decisions about what to stock are made around, "do we want to eat that?", which makes it very easy to pull something together last minute.

Of late, we are really enjoying the Spanish flavours we have been bringing in. From the marinated anchovies and Iberico jamon to the wider selection of Manchegos in the shop, creating a Tapas style table is pretty fun.

We are also working hard to bring some more local flavours in as well. We have some great producers on Vancouver Island and across the pond on the Sunshine Coast and we are happy to be partnering with them. From our own in-house baked items and preserves, to local produce, yum strawberries!, and meats, if you are looking for local gourmet items we are here to serve!

Brut Charcuterie

Brut Charcuterie is a producer in Powell River that we have recently started working with. With a growing market in Powell River, we had to bide our time before they could fit us onto their wholesaler list. You'll find a selection of their Salamis, Saucisson Sec and other tasty things, like their epic Soppressata!

Cheese

As always, we continue to broaden our range of cheeses, charcuterie, and other delights to satisfy customer demands and indulge our own appetites.

Cantanaar is a new cheese for us. This is an aged gouda style cheese from Holland, with a tangy and mildly, sharp flavour. The highlight of this cheese though, is that it is significantly lower in sodium and fat compared to other Gouda-style cheeses. This is a perfect cheese for those that are on specific diet but still want to enjoy specialty cheese.

Rosemary Manchego

Ankia and I fell in love with this cheese on a trip to Vancouver and it has now been added to our Spanish cheese selection of Oveja de Truffe and the 12-mth aged Manchego. Made in La Mancha region of Spain with sheep's milk, rosemary is pressed into the rind before the aging process begins. The flavour is infused into the cheese, without becoming overwhelming. If you are a rosemary lover, this is definitely one to try!

Époisses AOP Perrière

And for those that love the French "stinkers", and I think my favourite from the past month, we brought in a larger round of Epoisses. I wasn't super impressed with the smaller rounds we had received over Christmas. I didn't find the texture to meet my expectations, so I decided to change things up and bring in the larger round. Definitely an improvement! A nice moist rind, definitely not to the aromatic level as some of the versions you find in France, and definitely less so than the Maroille, it is nonetheless a great cheese to add to the board. A bit umami, with a good tang and a glossy, melting texture.

Boards & Baskets

As folks start spending more time camping and out on their boats, we are getting more and more of you coming in requesting packable charcuterie boards. While we continue to offer the boards intended to be eaten immediately, within the day, we are also now offering vacuum sealed boards that are ideal to bring along for a trip. As long as you keep it refrigerated, it will be good for 5 days before opening. Perfect for a hike or a boat outing when kitchen access is limited.

Road Trip!

Well maybe not a road trip, but definitely a voyage! Over the next few weeks, you will notice that Ankia and I are missing from the shop. We are heading out on our first product procurement trip, leaving our little shop in the very capable hands of our amazing staff, Lydia and Helen. We will be on the hunt, tasting new cheeses & looking for new products to add to our shelves over the next few months. Focusing on unique products of high quality, we are excited to see what is out there and to bring back some of those goodies to share with you!

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Keep it Cheesy!

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